What they're saying about the Portland Timbers 3-3 draw with the New York Red Bulls (links)

The Portland Timbers opened their 2013 MLS campaign with a 3-3 draw with the New York Red Bulls Sunday night at Jeld-Wen Field.

Trailing 3-1 at the half, Portland rallied back in front of a raucous sellout crowd of 20,674, tying the match on an own goal played in by José Valencia in the 83rd minute. The Timbers served as the aggressors in the second half, outscoring the Red Bulls 2-0 and outshooting them 13-4.

Here's a look around the 'net at reaction to the Timbers' season opener:

Rodney Wallace won a loose ball in the middle of the pitch and was able to poke it forward to Nagbe. Nagbe then took the ball to the top of the box and hit a rocket of a shot which was saved by Robles but he was unable to keep control of the ball and it bounced out towards the corner flag. Jose Aldofo Valencia was first to the ball and at the corner of the 18 yard box the hit a low cross into the the 6 yard box. The ball was hit so hard Olave was unable to get out the way or turn to make a play on the ball, and it bounced off of his leg and into the goal for the equalizer.

Petke said the Red Bulls played like they were trying to save the lead in the second half - missing the aggressiveness they had in the first.
"Portland's a good team," he said. "They threw everything at us."
Portland narrowed the match after the break when Nagbe rebounded a shot off Robles in the 56th minute, before the own goal caromed off Olave and past Robles as the clock wound down. Portland had a chance to win it in the final minute, but Robles saved a shot by Ryan Johnson.

“The atmosphere was electric,” said Will Johnson, who played for Real Salt Lake the past two seasons. “I expected nothing less. The fans here are known in North America as the best, and it won’t be long before the rest of the world starts to know that some of the best sports fans in the world are right here at Jeld-Wen Field.

“It’s an honor to play for them. A lot of our never-quit attitude is a respect of the oath that those people take who come to sing and cheer for us an hour and a half before the game until the 96th minute. We owe that respect to them.”

Particularly entertaining was the play of Valeri and Darlington Nagbe. Their creativity had New York in scramble mode.
“We were switching the ball a little bit better. Just keeping the ball down,” Will Johnson said. “In the first half, guys weren’t moving and running as much as we needed to. Everybody in the second half wanted the ball and the movement was good.”

In attack, Portland were as advertised. Newcomer Diego Valeri was a constant threat, the skill exhibited on his 14th minute goal sure to make the Timbers’ opener a Goal of the Week candidate. After a quiet start, Darlington Nagbe was the final hour’s best player, scoring the Timbers’ second before starting the play that led to the third. With two close calls late, Ryan Johnson nearly completed Portland’s comeback from 3-1 down. All the stars of Portland’s attack shined.

The Timbers rallied from a 3-1 halftime deficit behind a Darlington Nagbe goal and a New York own-goal on a dangerous shot by substitute José Valencia. The Timbers' new Designated Player, midfielder Diego Valeri, scored a first-half goal and was the catalyst behind their dominating second-half attack to give Caleb Porter his first point as a MLS coach.

Valeri became the fourth MLS Timbers player to score a goal in his club debut, tallying the initial equalizer in the 14th minute. At the top of the box, midfielder Kalif Alhassan was able to one-time a pass from midfielder Will Johnson and found Valeri streaking into the box. Valeri worked around one Red Bulls defender before slotting the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal.

"You can't stop us" scarf spotted in the North End during the second half of the match at Jeld-Wen Field in Portland, Oregon, March 3, 2013. Nick Hernandez/OregonLive.com